New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-07
NOT A LEG TO STAND ON.
ALL HEwITTs ARGUMENTS DEMOLISHED.

most elaborate and telling arraignmept OF tie
Mayors inexcusablc action was made Oh Saturday
Dy Carl Schurz In an open letter which was gwen
the press last night at the Independent CitizcnS
headquarters The letter is as follows:
Mr.. sCHURZ INTRODUCES HIMSELF.
DEAR SIR: Permit mo to Introduce myself to you az
one Of large number Of citizens who without regard IA
your party affiliations supported you when you were
candidate for the Mayors office At the instance some
Of them for whom then spske, 1 address you now,
In saying this do not lay claim to extraordinary
sderaton mention 1t only in order remind you OF
the fact that the ground which the independents
citizens supported you well understood. We believed
that Mayor OF this great city you would infuse
ment of superior intelligence and honor into conduct
of our municipal affairs and by the force Of your
pie AS well as by the leg taae use Of your influence
deavor to emancipae them from the rule OF narrow
minded selfish, aud not unfrequenty corrupt partisan.
ship from which the community has the past suffered
30 much injury and disgrace You cannot fail to remem
Der how you encouraged that belief
No just man will deny that of your do
deserved aud obtained the applause OF your feowcit-
zens 30 much the more is it to be deplored that aow
you have taken step which In its evil effects threatens
to outweigh all the good you have done may
the rest OF your official term and here express not
only my own, but the opinions, far as know. of all
those who supported you without being by parti
motives
Tho contest for the District eyshp has at this
time assumed unusual importauce-not Oh account Of
personal party considerations. but because involves
great public interests he corruption 50 long prevail
ing in municipal affairs has seriously injured the
welfare as well as the good name OF this community.
vigorous prosecution OF the thieves and berayers Of
public trusts OF brbe- -ciyeIs and bribeak was fell
10 be the first step necessary II tie public interest
to he protected and tie disgrace wiped Wien az
last that vigorous prosecution took place haed
by ali good citizens the breaking OF n better day
Everybody knew that 1t was owing mainly to Nr Mar
tine VINO controlled The operations o: the DisrictAt.
torneys ollice and to Mr.. Nlco who worked up and
conducted the trial OF the Doodle This so
generally understood that when Mr. MARITIME desired
place on the bench. AS was proper enough Mr. N,coll
was almost universally looked upon his natural
There general feeling that lie had aged
the prosecutions not only with skll and unrng
but also with that hrnncss against adverse pressure
that fearesness Of the pswcr OF those he hat to bngt
justice and OF heir friends which especially isdi,
tric Attorneys office appeared the soul ot prose-
emtI9ns a. te 2mnspai proctor OF the pHDc Interest
regarded especially iworny for the future,
In fact as the especial representative OF the vgor Of the
law.
That ordinary political hucksters who derive thoir
sustsnance from selfish combinations shouli have op.
posed him was not surprisiag. But nobody reckoned
YOU among that class You are "a man of recognized
OF a distinguished public career. and head or this
great municipality OF important official position. Many
regarded public Office as pio ic trust When you op-
pose what generally lOoked upon demlnlei 0y tho
pupc voice well as the public Interest must be ex-
peccd that YOU have wcshty reasons for it-reas0as
corresponding VITA your Character ami station.
THE MAYORS LETTER PAINFUL SURPRISE.
Ysu have given us those reasons in letter addressed
TO the Harlem Democratic Club. and pardon me for say.
ing that TO many your friends they have been pain
ful surprise.
Yon that originally you had been willing TO do all
you could in proper way to secure Mr.. Nic,lls nomt
nation thus admitting the propriey OF 1t. Why. then.
dbl you do it Because time in september last
Mr. Nco had told you that he preferred to resume his
private practice OF the law" Ny dear Mr. Hewitt you
and are novices in public life. Wncn you tell
that such casual remark about prcerrng private sta
ton DO taken conclusive reason against bring.
ng that forward for Office he Is otherwise lit and
desirable you will certainly expect receive
tnat statement without smile Have we not both heard
II said many time. that the man should seek the
Office. bul the Office the man DO not both remsmber
many Instances when public men were urged and finally
prevailed upon 10 take scr, much against their origi
nal desire prominent OF that Kind is fresh in
my memory it Is that OF the Hon. Abram ;. Hewitt.
when after repeated declarations that he di not desire
that ocs he permitted himself to so nominated for the
MaoF'y But you give M up EoIr argument IN your o".
ms private practice Just as much as Mr. NieolL
80 appears that the wish 70 re ire % private practice
Fellows and that in spite OF such wish, the nomination
could be ur- ed upon Mr. Fellowship net upon Mr. NcoL
You must therefore pardon sensible men II they do not
take yOlr argument rs serious.
affairs the no nln atom OF Ir. Nicol was de-
mandc b. certain newspapers which are either not the
or STas 81 tine . pa or are asns s y opp"ses
that the advocacy OF Mr. Nicoll By newspapers NOT
the or the Democratic party would make less
efficient In the prosecution Of eyiloers less valuable
District Attorney TO the city Of New York remeabsr
when Abram Hewitt wasa candidate for Mayor news
papers; " not the organs Of the Democratic party ad
II for himself u disqualification for the Office
THE NEWSPAPERS ONLY ECHOED PUBLIC DEMAND.
Indeed. you that one OF tho newspapers spoke In
dicatoria toAe. What OF that Would that have d.
minshed Mr.. Nicolrs qualifications for the place Would
it have ossens the Importance Of the prosecutions by
man OF his proven trustworthEessi Let me ask you.
Instead OF iuiulgig feverish sinugs about news
paper bosses sud "broong Bud has" tolook the facts
calmly IN The face It was not one newspaper that as
II almost tile whole press OF this city IL was
The He,,d. Ihe S,o The World The hmes THE TRIBUNE
Idrerisgr. The Nal ana Irprcss Harper's Weckiy Ms
Independent ard others And why did these newspapers
because they wanted to start popular curren but be
cause they ley noyo! IL In:y ara not sTeas public % SEN
and expression to a domsnd which embodied the best
the demand Tor justice and good government viii
you make II. believe that. as setrespsc,ias
the Dcmocratc party could not have yielded TO that
ao1S @ o ihG M s
kind OF "self-rospect " has carried you
to he perfect angels not in favsr Of crlticsng the
private conduct OF candidates for Office unsss II abso
when that private conduct reveals faults Of character
which would render tho candidate unit for the office TO
which he aspires Mr. Fellows Is an eloquent man. asd.
| suppose, pleasant companion he may possess other
IN this wsr Ids But recent revea'i.ns have served 70
illustrate some OF his Weaknesses which, IN ac have
for tho duties of public prosecutor lie stands self
confessed having after losing considerable sum Of
moner which he did not possess In gambling paia his
gambling debt with note the payment OF which Nc
sought to avoid by pleading in court tho law against
gambling. lie stands scll-cOnessed as having solicited
pecunary favor from william NJ Tweed, the champion
public robbsr and CORN ponst OF this land-and tina
Immediately he tFcllows) had loft the employment
OF tho prosecuting attorney OF this county. and after
Twecd's unexsmped misdeeds had become clearly
known to HIN.
WHAT A sELF-RESPrCTING CITIZEN WOULD DO.
In private life you would, % "sefrespeciing man,
probably leave any one guilty Of these things
the society OF his boon companions. TO the mercy Of hi
creditors and perhaps to the attention OF tho police. AZ
a self res specting" business man. who wishes 10 pre-
serve COED repute of his rm you would hardly make
him Your partner manager recommend MIN 10 your
ncghhors for confidential employment Can you then,
as self respecting public man, advise your fellow